Thermo-electric regulator.



E. F. COLLINS. THERMO ELECTRIC REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.15. 191a.

1,121,991 Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

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Winesses: Inventor Edgar? Collins,

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E. P. COLLINS.

THBRMO ELECTRIC REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 00115. 1913.

' Patented D60. 22, 1914. V

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Witnesses: Inventor=:

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. '10 U "example,-as resistance .furna'ces, I 'the amount of heatdrawn varies with the heater may be connected alternately. in se- "Eneaa r. cums;

ma maf To all whom it may concern trio Regulators, i specification.

of heat control is too wasteful of energy to be useful for industrialpurposes.

1 within narrow predetermined limits by con:

citizenof the United Be. it known that I, 'EDGAR' F. CoLmNs, a 'States,.r es1ding a Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Thermo-Elec of'which the following is a The present trol of electrically heated devices, such, for from which The service conditions. temperature of a device of this nature has-been-controlled by inserting and withdrawing external. resistance inthe heating. circuit, but this method In accordance with my invention; the temperature of a heatin'gxdeviceis maintained of energy supply.

tinuou'sly shifting the rate without the use from onevalue to another,

I of an external resistance the rate of heat rice and in parallel, or,

.may oscillate between a input being alternately less than or greater than the rate of input required to make up for the losses and the lengthof the periods ofthe cycle being varied in accordance with the demand-in response to resistance changes in the heater. For example, sections of the the supply voltage V low and a high value which if continued would be on the one hand insuflicient to supply the necessary heat, and on the other hand would: overheat the device.

My invention also includes suitable control apparatus for carrying out this cycle, as pointed out with particularity in the appended claims. I

-M v invention will. be more fully. understood by reference 'tothe following descripi for controlling the "or other heating device: trating a system in which two resistors are tion taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate diagrammatically various systems of connection temperature of a furnace,

- Figure 1 illusalternatively connected in parallel and in series to the heatlng circuit 1n accordance or 'scnnfiucrsny, NEW- 4 coma, A'coarom amusementerasures.

y specification of Letter-crate;-

Application med 0mm 15;

invention relates to the-con I 'nace, or

rial, an

-- lines by conductor -12 system shown and need not the overload control OFFICE max," assionon j'ro GENERAL 'ntnc'rmc [ion or New max.

1918- Serial No, m

system in which two. voltages are used; Fig.

t 3 illustrates a system in which two resistors are used, connected to the supply alternately with an intermediate series connection; and

I atentedDec. 2.2,

with arm demand; mg: 2 liti ants a Fig. 4. illustrates an alternating current s stem adapted for use'with automatic tlple voltagecontrol.

Referring to Fig. '1 the resistance furotherhea-ting device, has been diagrammatically indicated in outlinebydot: i

of carbon in itsyarious forms which has a -.negative temperature resistance coeflito anygiarticul'artype of resistance matemay be' well 'ada ted to resistances having a positive therma coefiici'ent of resistance.

tedlinesl, and two resistors 2 and 3 are shown. These-resistors preferably consist :cieat although my invention is not limited Energy is 'fed to the furnace by.

s'upply; conductors 4' and 5, in series with which man underload-magnetic control coil and an overload control coil7. The cores 8 and 9 of these coils are also surrounded by opposing or assisting shunt coils 10 and 11 connected in series across the supply scribed.

be varied, thereby varying be again de- As will b'emo re fully explained, the underload and overload coils change the con-..

-nection of resistors; 2 .and. 3 by means of 9 0 I relay coils 14 and 15, and contactor,- coils 16, 17 and 18 alternately from series to par-" all'el. Assuming a parallel connection, the

temperature of the furnace will rapidly in- I crease, thereby increasing the conductivity.

of the carbon resistors, and thus lIlClGflSll'lfi' the current value until the limit at whic This will causethe overload coil to change the connection from parallel to series, thus current and a1- cutting down the As it greatly the furnace to .cool somewhat.

lowing coil 7 is set is reached.

cools the resistance rises, still further'decreasing the supply current and causing the underload coil 6 to change the connection back to parallel.

W'hen current is first impressed upon the furnace magnet 14 is energized, its armature is attracted causing switch arm 19 to shift from contact 20 to contact 21. This completes a circuit from line 4 through conductor '22, switch arm 19, conductor 23,

contactor coil 16 and'18 and COIldllCtOISQl:

to the other supply-line 5. Contactor coils 16 and 18 will pull up their armatures and close contacts and 26 placing the resistors- 2 and 3 in parallel across the source of current supply. Undercoil 6 will pull up 1ts armature vithout effect on the connection,

I and the current will increase until overload coil 7 pulls up its armature bridging the contacts 27. This energizes relay 15, shifts the switch arm 19 to contact 20, thereby deenergizing contactors 16and 18, completing a circuit through contactor coil 17 by conductors 28, 29 and 24, closing the contact 30 andconnecting the resistance 2 and 3 in series to 'the supply lines. The value of the impressed voltage and the resistance of the heaters 2 and 3 should be so chosen that I this cycle will be repeated at an interval of several .seconds, or minutes, de ending on r the heat storage capacity of the urnace and the closeness of regulation desired. The

' length of the periods of parallel and series mand of the furnace.

. Fig. 2. Energy in this case is supplied from,

connection with respect to each other thus are varied in accordance with the heat de- 7 A somewhat similar cycle is carried out 1n the system shown in a three-wire or two voltadge system; the higher voltage being applie across conduc-, tors 32 and 33 and the lowervoltageacross conductors 33 and 34 on the one hand and 32 and 34 on the other hand. In order to heat up the furnace rapidly, it is started with the high voltage applied alternately on grids 2 and 3, with the triple pole switch a 35 inthe position as shown in the drawing.

At the beginning of the operation, relay 43 is energized, shifting the switch arm 38 to the :contact 45, completing a circuit through the contactor magnet 46, through conductors '37 and switch 38. The contact 47 will close, completinga circuit from supply line 33"to 'conductors'48 and 59, overloadcoil 49 to the heater 3, the latter being connectedto the other side 32 of the supply line. This will cause the furnace to heat up rapidly.

When a predetermined temperature has been, attained, the overloadcoil 49 operates, completing the circuit from line 33 through conductors 56, relay coil 53, conductor 57,

the switch 38 and the conductors 37 to the linef32, thereby shifting the connection-of switch arm 38 from contact 45 to contact 44. This causes the contactor 46 to be described.

' to bridge contact 73' thereby energized and the contactor coil 36 to be energized, opening contact 47 andclosing contact 62. Current now flows from supply line 33 through conductors .58, 40,41, underload coil 42, conductor 60 through the heater 2 to supply line 32. The main connections now are shifted by moving the triple pole switch 35 to contact points 50, 51 and 52, and shifting switch 39 from con-. ductor 54 to conductor 55. This connects theresistors 2 and 3 in series across supply line 32 and 33. The resistors are now in:

series but still supplied by current at" a higher voltage than necessary to maintain the desired temperature. When by the decrease of resistance a current hasincreased to a predetermined value, the overload coil 4.9 will close, operate the rela' coil 53,- and energize contactor coil 36. his completes a circuit .from the lower voltage su plythrough bothresistors 2 and 3, namely, rom Q line 34, conductors 40, 58, 59, 61 on theone" terminal, and the conductors '60 and 41 to the line 32, at the other terminal. The furnace will now be insufficiently heated and.

will cool off, until the underload coil 42 restores connections to thehigher voltage supply lines 32, 33 in the manner already de- In the system shown in Fig. 3,:when the circuit iscompleted'the resistors 2'and 3 originally are in series, and the underload magnet 63 will bridge'contactsj-64. A circuit is thus, established through contactor magnet "65 from supply line '4 through conduct'ors 66, 67 and 68, switch arm 69, and. conductor 70 to the other supply line 5. The

contact 71 will close, placing! resistor 3 7 across the source of current supply and causing the furnaceto heat up rapidly. Due to theincrease intemperature' and decrease of resistance, the heating current will increase until the overload magnet 72 operates lay magnet 74. The switch 69 will shift to energizing recontact 75, deenergizing contactor magnet 65. By the opening of contacts 71 the twow grids are placed in series,. the underloadj' coil v63 will attract its armature and open .7

the circuit across contact 64.". Coils 2 and 3 will continue to operate in series until the heatingcurrent is decreased to the predetermined value at which magnet 63 operates. When'this happens the coil76-will be energized and the resistor 2 connected across the supply'circuit by the closure of contacts 77.

When theheating current is again increased to the predetermined limit the overload coil 78' will operate to shift connection of the switch arm 69 to'contact 79, but againthe resistors 2 and 3 will'be placed-in series before the circuit throu h contactor magnet 65 is established. In t ismanner'the heatem 2 and 3 are connected alternately across f the heating circuit with an intermediate series connection, the 'intervals'being lengthened orv shortened automatically to maintain the desired temperature.

In the system shown in Fig. A a single 5 heater 80 is supplied with alternating curwhich we mayassume to be 400 volts, across the heater by the closure of switches 82, 83 and 84. This operation will cause the circuit to be completed through the contactor magnets 85 and 86 I of contacts 87 and l38 and thereby making the desired connections. When the heating current is increased to a predetermined value the control magnet v89 will operate. This magnet receives current from a series transformer 90 and is thus responsive to the changes in heating current. It acts to closecontacts 91, short circuiting resistances 92 in series with the contactor magnet 93. As the current continues to increase the magnet 94 will operate, closing contacts 95. This short circuits contactormagnet 85, energizing contactor coil 93 which closes the' contact 96. The grid is then connected by means of conductor 97 to an intermediate point upon the secondary of transformer 98, and by conductor 99 to one terminal of. the source of alternating current supply; This places an opposing section 100 of the secondary winding of the transformer. in circuit and gives the supply voltage in a given case of. 330 volts upon the heater termlnals.

As the current continues to rise, due to an yice, relay magnet 101 closes its contacts which completes a circuit through magnet 102, closing contacts 103 and denergizing magnet 86. ates, closing the contacts 105 and placing the heater 80 across the terminals of one-- half of the transformer secondary by means of conductors 97 and 106, which in a given case supplies current at 110 volts. This voltage is insufficient to maintain the temperature of the furnace, causing the resistance of the heater to rise somewhat until the coils ,89, 94 and 101 drop out, the contacts 96 open and the contacts 87 close, plac- 5 ing the full secondary voltage of 220 volts across the heater terminals. This causes the temperature of the heating device again to rise and to repeat the cycle.

-By means of any of the control systems 0 above described I havein practice maintained the temperature of resistance furnaces provided with a granular carbon heater and having considerable heat storage capacity, within about 0., at the tem- 5 perature of Incandescent carbon.

placing the full voltage across lines 81,

resulting in a closure increase of temperature of the heating de- The control magnet 104 open The furnacecan be readily used for forg-t ing bar copper and steel.

It will be observed that the control is entirely automatic and no energy 1s wasted in an external resistance, that the operation of the control mechanism is positive, and that no special source of energy is required. A furnace of rugged'construction may be used, and the service may be widely variable without danger of overheating.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. The combination of an electric heating device from which heat is emitted at varying rates, a heater therefor, an-energy supply circuit,' connections directly between said heater and said supply-circuit, and switching means responsive to a predeterheater for shifting said connections oftheheating circuit with respect to the heater to mined change in the resistance .of. said".

vary the relation between the voltage of the current in the supply-circuit and the resistance of the heater.

2. The combination of an electric furnace, a heater therein, a plurality of circuits supplying current at different voltages, and an electro magnetic switch responsive to changes of resistance of. said heater by variation of current respectively above and below predetermined limits for changing at intervals the connections to said heater from one supply circuit to another to maintain the temperature of said furnace within predetermined limits. I

3. The combination of an electric heat-' ing device, a resistor therefor, a heating circuit connected to said resistor, and electromagnetic means responsive to a change in the electrical resistance of said resistor for periodically shifting the connections be,- tween theresistor and the heating circuit to substantially vary the energy input, during intervals the length of which depends on the rate of heat demanded.

4. A combination of an electric heating device, a resistance heater therefor, heating circuits of materially different voltage, an electro-magnet in series with said heater operating when the current value reaches a circuit to the other to increase the energy input When the magnet responsive to the lOW current value operates and to decrease the energy input when the magnet. responsive to the high current value operates.

5. The combination of a source of electrical energy, an energy consuming circuit having a marked resistance coefficient of temperature, and electro-magnetic means re- .predetermined. maximum, a second electro- "sp'onsive to variations of current in said cir- In. witness whereof, :I- have hereunto set (fyui t' abm'g anfl. bellow predetell'lminedvalues my hand this lthdayof october, 1913.. I or perio ica yeternating t eenergy-inu, t of said-circuit; between predetermined I 5 values, and. means for absorbing and utiliz-e Witnesseszi ing substantially all of the heatprodueed in BENJAMIi B. HULL, said energy consumingcircuit. 1 Max Wmsnncbn. 4 

